Leaving Our Trails
by JessieJess26
Summary: SEMI-SEQUEL to "My Path to Follow"As I looked around me for any sign of familiarity, my mind pieced together a puzzle that terrified me beyond words; they left me here with the knowledge of my assured death.


**I'm going to be totally honest with you guys; I wasn't too sure about this sequel. Mostly it was because I was not in the same frame of mind as I was with "My Path to Follow". Regardless, I hope you enjoy.  
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><p><strong>"Leaving Our Trails"<strong> (Semi-Sequel to "My Path to Follow")

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><p><strong><strong>All Jacob's POV.<strong>**

The look that was stained within her eyes was almost an assurance of her love; but words needed to be spoken. I needed to hear the passion that her eyes so willingly screamed to me. Though the agony of my body grew greater with every passing moment, I allowed the pain to continue; if only to hear those beautiful words spoken.

An instance that turned into the painful torture that had become my life; ripped away from the very thing that held all the meaning in the world to me. She protested against _his_ hold and I knew that her heart was beginning to open. I wanted to shout, to get a point across to her that I was here and so willing to listen. That moment did not come…

A force, unnatural of this world, pushed me further to the earth with pain that swept across every inch of my wrecked body. The screams of my beautiful Bella did not stop the diatribe of affliction that came with the blood red eyes of a bloodsucker I had never seen before. A mere child, to mortal eyes, but those eyes held and amusement that was drenched in years of pure hatred and greed.

"_Please stop! Please! Take me instead!"_I could hear the words and even in the shattered state of my mind I still could not fathom that they came from my one and only love in this world.

More words of validity were spoken and soon, the realization of my departure was assured as I felt waves upon waves of untold torture flow through me. The darkness was starting to take over, and just as I had reconciled my mind to the fact that I would never see my beauty again, a grip to my crushed arm woke me from my silent refuge.

The horror that filled Bella's eyes alerted me to the permanent solace of an answer; an answer to a question of my future…or lack thereof.

One last glance was given to her as I felt the piercing pain to my neck and the fire that burned thereafter. I could not hold back the screams that were sure to flow through me. Though I knew the pack would try to follow, I hoped more than ever that they would not. The thought of my very brothers being burdened with killing one of their own was not a torture I would place upon any being.

Trees flashed by and swayed as I was carried away from the only home I had ever known; leaving behind my heart as well…

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><p>My eyes opened to the stillness of the ocean before me. No movement would come and I resigned my body to lie there in a state of half-consciousness. Burning…more and more burning; my veins were on fire with the venom coursing and destroying everything in its devastating path. The wolf within growled in its displeasure of this foreign humility; it fought with the heart and soul of a soldier and in the end, it allowed me to become something more…and yet something so dangerous just the same.<p>

As I looked around me for any sign of familiarity, my mind pieced together a puzzle that terrified me beyond words; they left me here with the knowledge of my assured death. I had been brought to the one place it was promised I would never see again.

Through the pain, I forced my body to move. The howls were sounded off as I ran, as fast as I could, away from the setting sun and dying winds of First Beach…

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><p>"You know that you can never go back Jacob." It was information that I was already aware of and yet it hurt just as much now as it had so many times before.<p>

The days and weeks that followed my awakening on the beach were moments that I wished I could just forget. With my body in a state of dominated confusion, it was my only choice to accept the help of my worst enemy. My heart, as well as my wolf, protested this idea to the fullest. How was I to survive speaking with the very creature that stole my reason for living away?

Bella…the one woman in the world who would always hold my heart; now left with no knowledge of my presence. Deep down, I knew that I needed to see her and yet I knew the danger I was to her. The risk of hurting her was not something I would even allow a thought to. Despite the hurt that I felt in my very soul, I could not bring myself to give in to my one desire.

Even now, his gold eyes stared at me, knowing exactly what I was considering. The look was not one of jealousy or hatred, but of pity; a feeling I never wanted from a creature such as him.

"If you go to her, you will destroy her Jacob. Would you want to risk it, knowing what she is to you?" How could I not know what she is to me? I knew, the moment I could smell her, the power she held over me. The transformation that had been carried through my body led my existence to give in to the smell of what flowed through her veins.

I was forced to give up my idea…for now….

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><p>Torment…only torment could describe the scene that was brought before me now. In this moment, I would severe the very life force that held me to this earth, if only to give her the peace of mind that she wanted so badly.<p>

I could clearly see her fingers skimming the shelves of my garage; the depression that my removal had placed on her heart and mind. No one would ever know of the images I knew she spoke to; the deepest thoughts she would tell these illusions. As her eyes stared vacantly at one of the old cars I had left behind, a small smile played on her lips and I was sure the thoughts of our times here were present, even now.

Through the haziness of the window, my eyes called attention to something else her fingers felt need to play with and it was in that moment that every ounce of sanity I had, was lost. Anger filled my soul and I knew the one person who would feel the wrath that I would most certainly unleash.

I run…again I run to the very place I thought would be my sanctuary for the rest of my days. I run because I cannot bear to see the flashes of thoughts that were filled with _her_. I knew in this moment what had happened and still, my mind stopped me dead in my tracks. The one consideration I had not given thought to was that this could be something _she_ wanted.

Though she spent day after day pining over thoughts of something that could never be, maybe she was doing this to give herself what she had wanted all along. Unconsciously, my feet began to pound the earth once more and soon gave way to paws that clawed at the treacherous ground beneath.

Mere seconds passed before I found myself at his doorstep, staring at him with what I'm sure were hatred filled crimson eyes.

"She chose this Jacob. It was her decision to continue with the marriage." Could he be right? Should I believe anything that bloodsucker stood before me and said? So many torturous moments had given way to my life and I concluded that, even in my deepest misery, maybe he was right.

For now…I gave in and let my mind lose itself with those deceptive thoughts…

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><p>I was completely aware that this day would come; that I would be forced to lose my world to the very thing I had become. She looked beautiful, so beautiful and the moment Alice left her alone in the room, I knew that my resolve would break soon enough.<p>

She stares off to the spot beside her and I know that, yet again, a vision of me is sitting there; giving her the support her heart needs. I discovered her need so many months ago and for a time, I let myself imagine that these thoughts were real, that she truly loved me and _only_ me.

Then I see the ring; the very same ring that he had placed on her finger so long ago. The ring that was the very reason she gave into a solitary kiss on that mountain; a kiss that was so much more than a figment between friends. The passion behind it was even more than she could comprehend and yet it did nothing to persuade her emotions at the time. Her fear kept her away from me once again.

"_I wish it was you Jake."_

My ears caught the words and did not believe them; could not believe them. It was a repetitious chorus that she sung over and over again with no signs of stopping. This was the moment that I knew my question had been answered and this time, it would be an answer _I_ would give to her.

I waited, biding my time; knowing exactly how I needed to do this. Her visions had a usefulness and I knew that she would search for them once again.

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In the gardens I waited and I made sure that the moment before she had to walk through those doors, she would find her steps leading her to me instead.

Her breathing stops for only a second before her eyes meet mine; it is only a glimpse and the moment Charlie walks away, she's walking towards me with desperation. I turn and walk, knowing that she would follow. It was an uneasy feeling that passed between us as she looked upon me, my eyes not meeting hers. There was a hesitation upon letting her see what I had become and it was a thought that weighed heavily on my soul. One look was all it took for her face to show something I had not been certain of until this very moment.

A soft, warm hand was placed on my face and the recognition I waited so long to hear was there…

"_I love you Jake."_ I tried to hold it back, still not certain of her declaration, but the tears came without warning. Another fear set in as she began to walk away; knowing that her mind led her to believe that I was not real. How could a vampire cry tears of both love and longing? I had to tell her the truth…I had to…

The truth did not come soon enough and _he_ made his appearance known. My mind betrayed me as I was forced back, seeing the very blood flow from me. I didn't care, I would heal soon enough. The only thing that showed importance in my life at this moment was my beautiful Bella holding my face, kissing me so passionately that I thought my heart would burst from the joy that encased me.

"_I love you Jake. I'm in love with you."_ The words that I needed…the words the wolf needed where there. He and I both growled with the knowledge that she was indeed..._mine. _

A feeling of pure euphoria overwhelmed my soul and the glow that surrounded her being was intensified a hundred fold. There would be no denying, by the bloodsucker, of what had occurred and I left my mind open for him to invade with his own free will.

I spoke to her of the lies that were told to keep me away and although her knowledge of being my singer was there, somehow her heart knew that her importance as my imprint far exceeded it.

No need to get away from the surrounding entourage as my heart and soul begged to leave this circle of lies and deceit. Once the ring was thrown swiftly at _his_ feet; we made our escape into the unknown; promises of our love scattering the winds through the foliage as we went.

Inside her bedroom was where we found our center and became one entity, showering affection upon the world. While our time here was both beautiful and endearing; neither of us was prepared for the horror that was to soon shadow our loving pattern.

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><p>Weeks went by and though I thought I could handle this torture; I was nowhere closer to gaining my sanity. Her satin skin was lost to the wages of paleness that never changed. Though a shimmer was there, something still relinquished the dread within me.<p>

"Honey?" Despite the weakened state she had been left in, she smiled a smile that outnumbered the sun's own. As the dark circles increased under her eyes, another tug at my heart gave way. We didn't understand this new affliction. It started off so right and within weeks, grew into something so terribly wrong. I knew that we needed more than what either of us could provide, but she remained firm in her decision not to follow that path.

Once more, a soft hand was placed on my face. "I'll be okay, I promise." A promise that wasted away…along with her body.

Each day was lost to me; a simple tearing away at the fibers that would soon perish beneath the earth. She would never know of the sleepless nights that went by; silent tears streaming at the thought that I had caused so much pain to the one person I loved more than anything.

I thought that I had given her everything in the world she had wanted, but in doing so, I may have brought the very wrath of mythical world to her door.

The blame was there, whether she believed it or not and I let my mind keep to that fault completely.

…..

"You did this to her!" His agonized roars screamed through my ears, but I never allowed the defeat to show. Though I knew what my decision had caused to her, I was still incredulous to the fact that he was a better choice. As I felt my back slam mercilessly against the frigid wall, I could see her eyes so clearly; begging for this to end…she needed to go soundlessly.

I so desperately wanted to let the wolf free again, for him to see the same anger I had showed him so long ago, but I refrained from the thoughts that would have spurred this action. My one and only need rested in the safety of Bella and our retreat.

The pain that filled his eyes did nothing to waver our passage as we made our way from their home. She knew that this would have been the one chance to signal an answer, but even now, her heart could not take the help of those that had betrayed her not so long ago.

"If it happens Jacob…I will find you and I _will_ kill you." Words that could have crushed my very being, but his hold over my path had long since been severed. Their so-called family could no longer pull the strings to the puppet and I would always make sure this ending did not rise again. It was never that my trust had led me to these particular thoughts, but the fact that those who claimed to be so much more than the wicked had chosen a path of evil all their own.

My eyes met Bella's one last time before we completed our exit and left them to their treachery. Though we did not get the answers we needed, we agreed that this was not something we could give into again.

And so…we waited…

…

As my eyes opened to the light of the sun, a void was present in my heart. The empty sheets beside me were a repetitive feature of past weeks. For every lonely morning spent, another breaking of my heart continued at the degradation of my one and only love.

Even through the blames I placed upon myself, I wanted to believe, with all my heart, that this would not last; that she would survive this misery and our love would continue to grow even stronger.

My feet carried me mindlessly down the hallway and to the room where she sat, staring blankly into the mirror. It was apparent that even she knew of the changes that had occurred within her. This is when the realization of just how much sorrow I had caused her came forward.

Her hands brushed along her cheeks that were flushed and yet so pale; her glittering skin left nothing to the imagination I so desperately tried to place there. I walk over to her, whispering how much she means to me, kissing her gently on top of her head. It was a move that was a constant for us, even before the times of monsters and magic, but her movements were not the same. There was something present within her soul today that not even my own eyes could reveal.

"Bells?" I call her name but I am met with nothing; her attentions focused solely on the mirror in front of her. As I sit beside her, I realize her eyes are only focused on herself, but in no particular order.

I tuck a little of her hair behind her and wait in silence along with her. She never speaks and I only stare at the same place she is so rampantly focused on…her eyes. Semi-crimson orbs that still held enough of the rich dark brown her humanity had given her.

"Jake…" My name was an amazing sound, but the astonishment in her eyes showed more than I could comprehend. I looked deeper into the mirror, still seeing those beautiful eyes that never wavered.

It is an instant; a mere moment in time, but it is there. I see the familiar flash of golden brown within her eyes for a second before it is gone. Though my confusion is present, hers is not; only a sign I had not seen in so long. Her fingers lightly glide along her eyes as some realization, unrecognized to me, comes upon her. She smiles a smile that has not been shown for months and yet the perplexing games had grown for me.

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><p>We lay together, completely content on what the world has brought to us. The travels that we have gone through have led us both to this point in our lives.<p>

There were moments that gave way to thoughts so depressing that the end seemed all too near and yet so far. She told me of the times that she thought of me and me alone…laying with her; imagining me as her lover instead of the chilled accomplice of the vampire world. Later, she spoke of the many times that she dreamed so many thoughts, including ones that she would never have fathomed.

Everything was made clear through this time of our lives. We understood better, how it was that her body fought so desperately to keep part of her humanity. I had not taken from her so graciously, but given her the means to which she could accomplish the end. This new body needed more than what her humanity could have given her; to complete a task that only _she_ would be so hallowed to have.

The wolf, that had screamed so wildly before, rested with the knowledge at what she had given us. The very similar look in my eyes from so long ago, rested within hers as she had figured it out all too soon. Often times I had to ask myself just how she was able to _see_ before _feeling_.

Who knew what that vision on the mountain would have brought to her…to us? As my hands glide along her swollen belly, we both think of the moments that gave us this powerful bond. No matter what we were made to endure, we survived and came out of this in a perpetual state of happiness.

She smiled at me and at the thought of what she must now add to her list of endearments. Bella was more than half of a vampire, she was my singer, my imprint, and now…a mother.

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><p><strong>Let me know what you think! Please review! :)<strong>


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